Toledo

Galleri

Equipment to the Army Museum in Toledo

In the Spring/Summer of 2009 I was commissioned by Time Machine AG to make four helmets for the Museo del Ejercito in Spanish Toledo. In Spain several museums were brought together under the same roof in the newly renovated Toledo Alcázar museum, among them the Spanish army museum which was earlier in Madrid. The new museum was intended to give an account for the history of Spain. Time Machine was commissioned to ”illustrate Spanish warriors from Ibero-Celtic times to the 18th century Colonial Empire”. TM produced models for the helmets, which were then made to be placed on dressed dolls in the permanent exhibition. The emphasis was placed on making the helmets look perfectly correct in the exhibition, with more or less patina depending on the background of the user. Has it been used for one year or for ten years….?

The design can be rationalized to some extent. A helmet can for example be welded, the material can be a more modern and more workable steel, and so on, but the final product at the exhibition must always feel 100 % correct. I can definitely recommend Time Machine, which is a very competent company with vast knowledge and experience of museum exhibitions.

West Gothic helmet from about 700 based on several finds. The helmet is riveted out of five parts onto a rivet band. The decor is chiselled.

Arabic helmet, 11th century, welded out of two parts. then hot forged, ground and polished. This type of helmet was worn under a turban. Thus only the top part of the helmet is seen when it is used.

Morion helmet, 17th century, hotforged out of two parts. Welded and then forged again. The surface has been left untreated after the forging. And the helmet is linseed oil burned using pigmented linseed oil. The straps are made of buff leather.

Cabasette helmet, 17th century, hot forged in two pieces. Then welded and thereafter hot forged once more. All of the surface has been rough-filed. The edges have been rolled fast and rivets and washers have also been made fast in order to give the helmet the desired “mass-production appearance”.